China suspends import of Ecuador shrimps after detecting COVID-19 on packaging

China’s customs authority on July 10 reportedly said that they detected the deadly coronavirus on the packaging of frozen white shrimps imported from Ecuador. While the tests on the shrimp and inner packaging were negative, the customs authority said that the samples taken from shipments from Industrial Pesquera Santa Priscila SA, Empacreci SA and Empacadora Del Pacifico Sociedad Anonima Edpacif had produced six positive results. After detecting the presence of COVID-19 in recent shipment, China reportedly suspended imports from three shrimp producers in Ecuador. 

The General Administration of Customs in a statement said that after the nucleic acid sequence analysis and expert judgement, the test results suggested that the container environment and outer packaging of the goods of the three companies were at risk of contamination by the new COVID-19. The customs authority further reported said the companies’ ‘food and safety management system was not in order’. 

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Elimination of ‘hidden dangers’ 

The recent detection of coronavirus on the packaging marks the first five positive results announced by Beijing since it began testing imported frozen foods in a bid to contain the spread of the deadly virus. The testing campaign by China came after coronavirus was found on a chopping board used to cut salmon at a food market in Beijing, which led to an outbreak of COVID-19 among workers in the area. While there is no evidence that the virus can be spread through food, China still halted the imports of Salmon from European suppliers. 

The Chinese custom authority reportedly said that the suspension of imports is in a bid to protect consumer health and ‘eliminate hidden dangers’. With the detection of COVID-19 on the packaging of frozen food, the customs authority reportedly ordered the three now suspended firms to recall or destroy orders of shrimps which were made after March 12 and had already imported to China. 

(Image: AP) 

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